There Wilmington-area football players signed national letters of intent to play college football at state FBS schools on Wednesday. Wide receiver Pharaoh McKever of South Columbus joined N.C. State as part of new coach Dave Doeren’s first recruiting class while Trevon Brown of New Hanover and offensive lineman Larry Williams of Laney heading to East Carolina.

McKever

McKever played quarterback and safety for the Stallions last season, passing for 3.617 yards and rushing for 2,070 yards in his high school career. He also had 18 career interceptions while being named by the Star-News as the region’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2012.

Here’s what Doeren had to say about him Wednesday:

“Pharaoh is an interesting dude. He’s a 6-6, 220-pound quarterback slash receiver slash safety, and he can do a lot of things. He’s going to play receiver for us to start, then we’ll see where his body goes, where that puts him. But he’s a big guy who can jump over people and play X for us and match up on people inside at times in the slot. When you get a big guy like that who can run, that’s pretty important. You see some of the stuff he did as a quarterback, so maybe there’s a few gadget-type plays for (offensive coordinator Matt) Canada there.”

Brown

Brown is a 6-3, 190-pound wide receiver who finished his career at New Hanover as the school’s all-time leading receiver with 2,601 yards. He had 64 catches for 1,182 and 19 touchdowns as a senior in leading the Wildcats to an 11-2 record.

Williams, a 6-4, 295-pound lineman is a three-star prospect who helped lead Ashley to its first playoff win since 2001 as a junior. He is a two-time All-Area first-team selection who was also a standout wrestler, finishing seventh at the NCHSAA state tournament at 285 pounds as a junior.

Here’s what ECU coach Ruffin McNeill had to say about the local pair at his press conference Wednesday, including comment about concerns over Brown’s ability to qualify academically:

“We feel Trevon is on the right track. We look forward to him joining (the program),” McNeill said. “We’ve been in that school and in that home six times. Larry is a wrestler. Trevon is a basketball player. (He) hit 30 (Tuesday) night and I know that as I was talking to him when he got home from the game.

“Those guys in that Wilmington area, again another area that is close to my home in Lumberton, always had a rich tradition and we have a rich tradition at East Carolina of having players from that area. Both those guys, Larry at offensive-line and Trevon at wide receiver, will add not just talent but another reach into Eastern North Carolina for us.”